286Emergencies
Towing and tow-starting the vehicle
General information
Points to observe when tow-starting or towing away If you use a tow rope:
Notes for the driver of the towing vehicle
– The tow rope must be taut before you drive off.
– Release the clutch very carefully when starting the vehicle
(manual gearbox), or accelerate gently (automatic gearbox).
Notes for the driver of the towed vehicle
– The ignition should be switched on so that the turn signals,
windscreen wipers and washers can be used. Please ensure
that the steering wheel is unlocked when you switch on the ig-
nition, and that it moves freely.
– Put the gearbox lever in neutral (manual gearbox) or move the
selector lever to position N (automatic gearbox).
– The brake servo only works when the engine is running. Consid-
erably more effort is required on the brake pedal when the en-
gine is switched off.
– Remember that the power steering only works when the ignition
is switched on and the vehicle is moving 1)
. Otherwise, consider-
ably more strength than usual will be required when steering. –
Ensure that the tow rope remains taut at all times.
Tow rope or tow bar
It is easier and safer to tow a vehicle with a tow bar. You should only use a
tow rope if you do not have a tow bar.
A tow rope should be slightly elastic to avoid damage to both vehicles. It is
advisable to use a tow rope made of synthetic fibre or similarly elastic mate-
rial.
Only attach the tow rope or the tow bar to the towing rings ⇒ page 287.
Driving style
Towing requires some experience, especially when using a tow rope. Both
drivers should be familiar with the technique required for towing. Inexper-
ienced drivers should not attempt to tow.
Do not pull too hard with the towing vehicle and take care to avoid jerking
the tow rope. When towing on an unpaved road, there is always a risk of
overloading and damaging the anchorage points.
WARNING
If the vehicle has no electrical power, the brake lights, turn signals and
all other lights will no longer function. Do not have the vehicle towed
away. Failure to do so could result in an accident.
CAUTION
If there is no oil in the gearbox or no lubricant in the automatic transmission
the car may only be towed with the driven wheels lifted clear of the road, or
transported on a special car transporter or trailer.
1)
Important: the battery must be correctly charged.
289
Emergencies
Tow-starting
As a general rule, tow-starting is not recommended.
– Engage 2nd or 3rd gear before moving off.
– Press the clutch and hold the pedal down.
– Switch the ignition on.
– Once both vehicles are moving, release the clutch.
– As soon as the engine starts: press the clutch and put the gear
lever in neutral.
If the engine will not start, it is best to try starting it using the battery of an-
other vehicle ⇒ page 283 before attempting to tow start. You should only try
to tow-start the engine if jump starting is not successful. Tow-starting is an
attempt to start the engine via the movement of the wheels.
When tow-starting a vehicle with a petrol engine, do not tow it more than a
short distance, otherwise unburned fuel can enter the catalytic converter
and cause damage.
WARNING
The risk of accidents is high when tow-starting, as the towed vehicle can
easily be driven into the towing vehicle.
CAUTION
Do not tow vehicles for more than 50 m. Risk of damage to the catalytic con-
verter. Towing vehicles with a manual gearbox
Towing is relatively straightforward.
Please observe the relevant instructions ⇒ page 286.
The vehicle can be towed using a tow bar or tow rope in the normal way,
with all four wheels on the road; it can also be towed with either the front or
rear wheels lifted off the road. The maximum towing speed is 50 km/h (30
mph).
Towing a vehicle equipped with automatic gearbox
Certain restrictions must be observed when towing your ve-
hicle. Please observe the relevant instructions ⇒ page 286.
The vehicle can be towed with a tow bar or tow rope in the normal way, with
all four wheels on the ground. When doing so, please note the following
points:
● Make sure the selector lever is in the N position.
● The vehicle must not be towed faster than 50 km/h (30 mph).
● The vehicle must not be towed further than 50 km (30 miles). Reason:
when the engine is not running, the gearbox oil pump does not work and
the gearbox is not adequately lubricated for higher speeds or longer distan-
ces.
If the vehicle has to be towed with a breakdown truck, it must only be sus-
pended at the front wheels. Reason: the drive shafts are located on the front
wheels. If the car is towed with the rear wheels lifted off the road (I.e. travel-
ling backwards), the drive shafts also turn backwards. The planetary gears
in the automatic gearbox then turn at such high speeds that the gearbox
will be severely damaged in a short time.
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical TipsTechnical specifications
Clutch (warning lamp) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Coming Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Consumption (fuel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Control lampAirbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Tyre monitor indicator warning lamp . . . . 215
Tyre monitoring systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Windscreen wiper fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Control lamps adaptive cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
applying the brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Control of function Rain sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Controls and displays (overview) . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Control Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Convenience closing Panoramic sliding sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Convenience opening Panoramic sliding sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Convenience opening/closing . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Cooling system Checking the coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Coolant temperature gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Topping up coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Cornering lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Correct adjustment of front seat head re- straints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Correct adjustment of rear seat head restraints In-use and non-use positions . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Correct sitting position
front passenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Incorrect sitting position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
passenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Cruise control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
D Danger of fitting a child seat on the front pas- senger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Data recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Daytime driving light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
DEF (instrument panel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Depth of tread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Diagnostic connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Diesel Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Particulate filter Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Preheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Digital clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Dipped beam headlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Direction of rotation (tyres) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Disabling the airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61, 62
Display/Easy Connect control panel: Cleaning . .242
Disposal
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Distance control see adaptive cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Door/rear lid warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Doors Childproof locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Downhill speed control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Drawer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Drink holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Driver see Correct sitting position . . . . . . . 11, 12, 13
Driver information system CD/radio display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Door/rear lid warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Engine oil temperature display . . . . . . . . . . 77
Operation via the windscreen wiper lever . 73
Outside temperature display . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Driving With a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234, 235
Driving abroad Headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Driving safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Driving through water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Dynamic headlight range control . . . . . . . . . . 117
327
Index